Masala Mushroom Curry

Margo was the first friend I made after moving to the United States 11 years ago. She is one of the warmest, most intelligent and compassionate people I know. Her hubby, Jon, and she are posted overseas a few years at a time, and each time she fearlessly and wholeheartedly immerses herself in these complex new places and cultures.

Margo was the first to introduce Desi and me to Middle Eastern food and its delightful flavors. She is also one pal who always has nice things to say about my cooking, whether or not I deserve it, which always makes it an enjoyable experience to cook for her and Jon when they visit.

Last night, Margo stayed over with us. She loved this mushroom curry that I made for her and told me she has been trying to cook more vegetarian meals. In the past I have promised Margo countless recipes and failed to deliver because of time constraints and my own sieve-like memory. One of the things I hope this blog will do is make me more organized about sharing my recipes with friends and anyone that cares about compassionate cooking.

So here’s Margo’s Masala Mushroom Curry. It takes minutes to throw together yet has many layers of flavor, thanks to the curry leaves and garam masala.

In the recipe I use light coconut milk which I buy from Whole Foods, but you can easily substitute with 2 parts regular coconut milk and 1 part water. While coconut does contain some saturated fat, it is far healthier than the fat found in animal products and is also considered to have anti-carcinogenic properties.

Comments

I’ve made this twice now, and it’s wonderful! I deviated from the recipe as follows: I didn’t have curry leaves, so I substituted 1/2 tsp curry powder. And to make it more filling I added a 1/2 cup of green peas when I added the coconut milk. They add a beautiful sweetness to the dish and compliment the mushrooms wonderfully. Thanks for the garam masala recipe as well.

Mazozeh, substitute with 2 tsp of the powders for each tsp of the seeds. I would advise not pre-roasting the ingredients beforehand. Grind them up and then roast them lightly just before you use them– for instance, when adding it to a curry, add it right after you’ve sauteed the onions and before you add any liquid.Hope that helps 🙂